“Just some bullshit about you getting sidetracked by a mountain daddy and delaying the album. You know, stuff they wouldn’t say about a guy. But I’m used to it. I’m an adult now and I can take it.”
The attention was on him and he was thinking of me?
What did he mean he’d been through this before? It likely had something to do with his mom and he wouldn’t say. Regardless, he shouldn’t have to deal with this nonsense because of me. “I can work with Ruby to mitigate?—”
“Let ’em wonder. Any light you shine on us is only going to turn into a floodlight. That’s how it goes with you. Your fan base can be kind of rabid.”
“How do you know?”
“I’m just a simple rancher, but I might’ve looked at your feeds a time or two over the years.”
I smiled and cradled the phone to my ear. I’d never tire of hearing that I’d been just as hard to forget as he was. “Yeah?”
“I had to make sure you were still living your dream.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Rhys
The girls were preparing for their guitar concert at Wren’s place.
I sat on a chair in the living room and scrolled through the threads about me and June. Only a couple of days had passed since I’d learned of the online chatter, but the hubbub had been deflected by the announcement of June’s album release.
Between yesterday and today, she’d started working with another manager and had announced July31 as the release date. Had June worked on finding a new manager all week?
Our secret was mostly safe. My kids were forgotten. Only people who’d been out to the cabin would know where she was from her photos.
I should’ve been bothered. I should’ve pulled all the way back. Hadn’t I cornered June about the risk of dragging the kids and me into the spotlight? But when realityhad hit and threatened to ruin what time I had with June, I hadn’t fucking cared. Everyone else could eat shit. I had two weeks while the girls were with Wren, and if June wanted me, I was hers.
Then after... I’d have to wean myself off her again. I’d have to watch her leave. And I’d be thrilled for her. This time, I knew what to expect.
Movement outside caught my eye. June parked next to my pickup. She had her hair piled on top of her head. The image of pulling her hair band out and dragging my fingers through those silky locks flashed through my head.Later.
We hadn’t officially discussed any plans. Were we on the same page? As soon as the girls finished their performance, Wren would feed us sloppy joes and then I’d leave her with the girls for a couple of weeks to kick off their summer. I’d go home, and June would hopefully follow.
“Junie’s here!” Hannah sprinted through the living room to the front door. She whipped it open before June reached the steps. “Hi! Did you see the picture of you and Dad?”
“Hannah,” I cautioned. We’d talked about piling on June as soon as she walked in.
But had June seen the picture? We’d looked intimate, like a real couple. Whoever the photographer was, they had captured us when June had turned into me and our heads were tipped close as we talked.
I had only stared at the image for an hour. A day.
“I did.” June put her hands on her hips. “I cannot believe he wasn’t smiling.”
Hannah laughed at June’s teasing tone. I shot June apromising look. I wasn’t a smiley guy. There was a lot more I wanted to do with my mouth around her.
She winked and the sauciness shot straight to my dick.
Bethany tugged on her hand. “We have the stage set up. First, I’m going to do ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ and Hannah’s going to do ‘Row, Row, Row Your Boat.’ Then we both want to play guitar while you sing.”
June’s brows lifted. “You learned a new song?”
Both girls enthusiastically nodded.
June lifted her gaze to mine. “How?”
“We found a video of a guy teaching ‘London Bridge Is Falling Down.’” And they had asked me to make sure they practiced every night.
